Playlist for Fourth of July

When you drive across the United States, you get a real sense of just how beautiful a country it really is — one that's been inspiring music since songwriters first glimpsed its purple mountains' majesty and its amber waves of grain. Here, then, is a Fourth of July playlist inspired — both implicitly and explicitly — by that awe-inspiring geography.

•“I Found You,” by Alabama Shakes: Yeah … we were gonna do the Skynyrd song, but just couldn't go there … and this Alabama Shakes song is gorgeously soulful, a real blast of Americana.

•“Mesa, Arizona,” by Jeffrey Foucault: This song by Western Mass.-based singer-songwriter Foucault is gorgeous and wistful.

•“Dry River,” by Dave Alvin and the Guilty Men: Alvin recorded an entire album of songs by California songwriters, but this bluesy country-rock masterpiece catches the feeling of the state better than more romanticized visions.

•“Square From Delaware,” by Fats Waller: OK. Not entirely flattering, but Waller's one of the greats.

•“Player's Ball,” by OutKast: The song that put Atlanta rap on the map, and the music world was never the same.

•“Louisiana Blues,” by Muddy Waters: Louisiana — New Orleans in particular — is one of the birthplaces of American music, so probably best to represent it with one of the masters.

•“8 Mile,” by Eminem: From Motown to rap, Detroit has always been a wellspring of American music, and Eminem brings it home, quite literally, with this one.

•“No Sleep Till Brooklyn,” by The Beastie Boys: There are a million songs about New York, but the Beasties caught the real soul of NYC here.

•“North Dakota,” by Kris Delmhorst: “I love North Dakota cause you have never been there.” Sometimes, that's all you need.

•“O New England,” by The Decemberists: You know, when New England pops up in songs, it usually symbolizes discovery and new beginnings — funny for the oldest part of the country — and this indie-rock favorite is no exception.